Edward s



E. S. BROWER.

BOMB HOPPER FOR AE RlAL CRAFT. APPLICATION man MAY 29. 1917.

Patented July 15, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- E. S. BROWER.

BOMB HOPPER FOR AERIAL CRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 191?. 1,310,053, Patented July 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET .2-

' norm ally inoperative from t strikes the object it EDWARD S. BROWER, OF RIDG-EWOOTJ, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CUYLER K. SANBORN, OFFLIZAIBETI-I, JERSEY.

BOMB-HOPPER FOR AERIAL CRAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed May 29, 1917. Serial No. 171,636.

I To all 'wf am it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD S. BRownR, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Ridgewood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bomb- Hoppers for Aerial Craft, of which-the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of 2 magazines or hoppers adapted to be carried by aeroplanes or other aerial craft and to permit the release of bombs as desired. by the aviator.

The object of my invention is toprovide means whereby the bombs may be released he magazine singly or all at once. My invention further relates to a construction of magazine or hopper suitable for use with bombs having means whereby the exploding devices may be held in inoperative relation during transit and until the time arrives for'use of the bomb, and may he released and allowed to assume operative relation when the bomb is to be discharged. The object of this part of my invention is to so construct the hopper or magazine that, as each bomb is freed from the hopper, the means for holding its explosive devices in relation will be autopermit them to assume matically released to sothatwhen the bomb an operative relation act. r p To these ends my invention consists in the construction of apparatus and combinations of devices a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawings from which those skilled in'the art will readilyunderstand the principles of the in-- vention and the manner in WhlCh the details of constructionmay be modified, retaining.

however said principles.

Figure 1 1s a side elevatlonshowmg the magazine mounted on an aeroplane.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the magazine or hopper embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line m-m of Fig. 2.

- of Fig. 5

- 2 carrying the assembly Weighted so that, as each from the longitudinal position of assembly -vided with a pin or red will be exploded by im-" in a guide extending to and by extending vertically and shows the release mechanism for reat a time.

leasing the bombs one view on the line b b 1g. 6 is a sectional Fig. 7 is a detail View of amodified form of the discharge magazine.

1 indicates the outside frame of the device in which is mounted a hopper or magazine of bombs marked 3. The latter 1n general are or type and are supposed to be of a construe tion wherein the nose or head 3 constituting the impact end 05f the bomb is suitably bomb is'released shown, it will assume a vertical position eltheriby the action of gravity alone upon charge.

As indicated inFig. 2, each bomb is pro- 4 projecting rearwardly therefrom and connected to a detonator and serves as a means wherebysaid detonator may be held at the rear end of the bomb away from the impact end or head until the rod or projection 4 attached to the detonator is released, whereupon said detonator is free to move forward through. or the impact end and to thereby come into suitable p-roximitytoa cap or detonator which is fired on impact, actingon the detonator causes the latter to detonate and explode the charge. Each said pinor rojection 4 is perforated as herein indicate when used in the manner herein described and a suitable pin or rod 5 mally holds the detonators at the rear of the bomb so that no impact of any nature upon the head or firing devices therein will explode the bomb. Upon the movement, however, of the bomb from its lowermost horizontal position, which occurs as soon as the bomb is released from the hopper, the pin 4 through said pins norof cylindrical form.

ploded on impact.

ings as shown and'provid frees itself from the looking or detaining pin or rod 5 and the detonator is then free to move forward to the that the bomb, whi himmediatelyessum'es the vertical posit on mdropp-ing, Wlll be ex- To free the bom s one 'ata time or in mass, the following devices are employed: 1 6 indicates a horizontal shaft mounted at one side of. the hopper 1n suitable'bearmay be held normally in position to sustainthe bombs in the magazine, or may be freed and allowed to revolve the distance between said arms, to free the lowermostbomb and to bring the next arm into position to meet the next bomb and hold the remain ng bombs in the magazine. To-govern the action of the shaft and ratchets or detent wheels a suitable detent or catch lever 8 .is provided, the lower end of which may be moved insuitable guides out of the position for engagement by the teeth of one wheel into position for engagement by the succeeding tooth of the companion or parallel wheel by means of the operating handle 9. the lever 8 is moved from the position shown to cause its detent. end to shift its position,

' freed allowing the shaft torethe shaftis volve in the space between the arms 6. and

the shaft is immediately stopped by engagement of a tooth of the other detentswheel with the end of the catch lever 8, so that but one bomb will escape. A reverse'movement from the position assumed by the lever 8 in the action ust describd will release the shaft forv another partial turn and automat call loclgit again to prevent the escapeiof morethan one. omb.

. To hold the catch lever 8 firmly in its two positions a lock segment 10 and latch carried by the lever may be provided By however freeing the: lever and moving it beyond either of the positions referred to so as to carry the catch away from position for engagement by either detent wheel 7 or 7 ,"the shaft or shafts 6 are leftfr'ee to rotate without obstruction and the whole contents of the hopper will therefore fall atonce. It will be understood that the magazine or hopper is not limited to use with bombs-of any particular construction'or type except firing position so horizontally one above the other'and When into position to onator in each as may be necessary to carry out the prine ciple of this invention.

What I claim as my invention is: v

-1.'-A hopper or magazine for bombs adapted to hold a series of bombs disposed each Lprovided -w'tlra rearwardly extendin' rod connected to a firing portion thereo and in inoperative disposed in the hopper, said means being adapted to automatically free the rod of bomb as the bomb leaves the hopper whereby itmay' assume operative position for exthe bomb on impact.. for aerial bombs, the combination with a shaft having arms adapted to release the bombs one at a time, ,of release mechanism having detent wheels and a detent arm whereby said shaft may be. permitted to revolve step by step and be locked in its successive positions.

3. A hooper for aerial bombs comprising a magazine in which the bombs may be disposed horizontally one ab shaft provided with arms adapted to be engaged successively by the lowermost bomb of the series and means for producin a step bystep rotationf'of the shaft to ree the bombs'successively or for freeing said she to allow the contents of the magazine to be discharged together.

I 4. Means for holding bombs in horizontal position'and discharging the same, together or one at a time, *i means comprising an armed shaft provided with two detent wheels and a detent adapted to be moved into position for engagement by the teeth of either wheel or to be thrown free'both detent wheels as and for the purpose described. 5. The combination with a hop or or 'maga zine and a series of aerial bom 5 disposed therein in horizontal'position, ofa detbomb, a rod projecting rearwardly from the bomb and connected to said detonator and means carried by the hopper detonators'fin inoperative relation and for freeing ploding the charge n 2. In a magazine "the detonators of the series in succession as.-

6. In 'a bomb hopper or 'magazine, the

combination (with the hopper or magazine the lowermost a' series *of aerial.

ove the other, a

and a series of vbombs'carried thereby in ver tical'series and having exploding means the elements of which are normally held in inoperative relation, of means for'freemg the lowermostbomb of the series and in succession and means for each bomb automatically by the release of the bomb from its lowermost position in the hopper or magazine. 7 7 The combination with a bomb hopper freeing said elements in i 1,310,053 Y 1 v B or magazine adapted to hold a series of L bombs piled vertically therein and each havmg a detaining rod connected to its 'defonabor and extending rearwardly from the 5 bomb, of a locking rod extending vertically in engagement with said detaining rods and adapted to free the detaining rod of each bomb as it leaves its lowermost position.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 28th day 10 of May, A. D. 1917. n

- EDWARD s. BROWER,

-Witnesses F. B. TOWNSEND, W. R W

. ARNER. 

